The camaraderie of app ideas you abandoned

Ideas for an app you want to make are like ideas for a novel or blog post. If you take too long, somebody else will probably go ahead and do it for you.

Often that person will do a better job than you would have. Maybe they’re more experienced, or they just took a different angle that you hadn’t considered and in hindsight prefer.

Here are three apps that implement similar ideas I tried to make and have since abandoned. These replacements aren’t precisely what I had in mind, of course, but they’re excellent apps that I’m glad exist. I suggest you try them yourself.

Tweet Keeper: Search, browse, and export tweets from up to eight Twitter accounts. It’s especially good for checking out replies from your friends to people you don’t follow. However, I wish it also grabbed your favorites. (Made by Ganter Ludwig.)

Watermark: Search and browse tweets from you and your friends, mentions, and favorites. Some exporting is possible via Dropbox. It’s mostly a web app, with searching available in the iOS app. The price feels a little steep at $5/month, but it’s quite handy. (Made by Manton Reece.)

Pinbook: The best in a recent string of Pinboard apps. The emphasis is on searching. While the features are limited so far, the app has been evolving rapidly. (Made by Collin Donnell.)